Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will respond to the report by the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow Airport, in particular its comment that it perceives a "deep-seated negative attitude" towards those detained in immigration custody at the airport.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency is appreciative of the work of the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport. Many of the suggested improvements referred to in the IMB's report had already been identified and are already work in progress. A response to the issues raised in the report is being prepared and will be sent to the chair of the board before the end of May.

Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to address the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow Airport's comments about facilities for personal hygiene in five of the six detention areas.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency is appreciative of the work of the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport. Many of the suggested improvements referred to in the IMB's report had already been identified and are already work in progress. A response to the issues raised in the report is being prepared and will be sent to the chair of the board before the end of May.

Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to address the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow Airport's comments about UK Border Agency escorting patterns when men, women and child detainees are brought to the airport.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency is appreciative of the work of the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport. Many of the suggested improvements referred to in the IMB's report had already been identified and are already work in progress. A response to the issues raised in the report is being prepared and will be sent to the chair of the board before the end of May.

Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to address the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow Airport's comments about meeting reasonable welfare needs and treating detainees with humanity.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency is appreciative of the work of the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport. Many of the suggested improvements referred to in the IMB's report had already been identified and are already work in progress. A response to the issues raised in the report is being prepared and will be sent to the chair of the board before the end of May.

Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the chairman and members of the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow Airport will be included in any discussions or decisions which are made on their report.

Lord West of Spithead: The Independent Monitoring Board regularly meets representatives from the UK Border Agency and its contractors to discuss detainee welfare concerns. The UKBA is producing an action plan following the acknowledgement to the IMB's annual report from the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration. The IMB will be invited to attend meetings to review its progress.

Alcohol

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people attend accident and emergency departments on Friday and Saturday nights with alcohol-related problems; and how that figure compares with other weekdays.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The information requested on alcohol-related attendances in accident and emergency departments is not collected centrally.

Alcohol

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reported cases of domestic violence involve one or other party having drunk alcohol.

Lord West of Spithead: The British Crime Survey 2007-08 reports that 37 per cent of domestic violence incidents involve offenders who are perceived to be under the influence of alcohol.

Alcohol

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of the population that regularly exceeds the Department of Health's recommended daily limit for alcohol consumption.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department bases estimates of increasing risk and higher risk drinking on average weekly consumption as the nearest proxy for regular drinking in the adult population. This shows compliance or not with Government lower-risk guidelines (not regularly drinking more than two to three units daily, equivalent to no more than 14 units weekly, for women; three to four units daily, equivalent to no more than 21 units weekly, for men).
	The General Household Survey 2008, using 2006 data, reported that 31 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women reported drinking above lower-risk limits.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the allowable rental on central London properties for military personnel serving in the Ministry of Defence main building on Whitehall for whom service accommodation is not available.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: In recognition of the highly mobile nature of service life, it is Ministry of Defence (MoD) policy that service accommodation is provided for all entitled service personnel as part of their terms and conditions of service. In cases where no suitable service accommodation is available, substitute accommodation is sourced from the commercial rental market via the MoD accommodation agency contractor in order to meet this obligation. Substitute accommodation is normally provided within the same radius/travelling time from a place of work as service accommodation.
	Different arrangements apply to single and family accommodation. Where the provision of substitute service single accommodation (SSSA) is required an indicative rental ceiling is applicable. Strict criteria also govern entitlement, property specification, furnishing, and standard.
	Indicative rental ceilings are set by the MoD in conjunction with the contractor and reviewed regularly. The indicative rental ceilings as at 1 January 2009 are set out in the table below:
	
		
			 Indicative Monthly Rental Ceilings For SSSA effective from 1 January 2009 
			 Band Rank London 
			 A2 Rear Admiral/Air Vice Marshal/Major General or above £1,380 
			 A1 Commodore/Brigadier/Air Commodore or equivalent £1,250 
			 A Captain/Colonel/Group Captain or equivalent £1,240 
			 B Commander/Lt Colonel/Wing Commander/Lt Commander/Major/Squadron Leader or equivalent £1,100 
			 C All other junior officers £840 
			 D Warrant Officer/CPO/Staff Sgt/Flt Sgt or equivalent £780 
			 E Leading Rating/Corporal and below £770 
		
	
	Substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) broadly equates to a service person's equivalent entitlement to service family accommodation (SFA). Because of the unpredictability of the commercial rental market there is no indicative rental ceiling. Approval is required by defence estates, which is provided in accordance with a locally determined average of rents to ensure value for money. Occupants of SSFA pay daily charges for comparable SFA of a similar size/type.
	Rental payment is made directly by the MoD to the contractor who then pays the landlord. Individuals may occupy properties in excess of their entitlement by payment of a personal contribution towards the rent.
	Separate arrangements apply to a small number of official service residences.

Armed Forces: Pay

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the salary range on 1 April for Lieutenant-Colonels (or equivalent ranks in other services) up to 2-star level in (a) 1979, (b) 1989, (c) 1999 and (d) 2009.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The annual salary ranges (inclusive of X-factor1) for Lieutenant-Colonels (and equivalent ranks) up to Major-General (2-star rank and equivalents) are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  01 Apr 79 01 Apr 89 01 Apr 99 01 Apr 09 
			 Lieutenant-Colonel £10,921 to £12,078 £28,050 to £30,999 £47,366 to £52,359 £65,717 to £76,095 
			 Colonel £12,828 to £14,175 £32,346 to £35,748 £55,060 to £60,856 £79,716 to £87,655 
			 Brigadier2(1 star) £15,251 £38,748 £67,448 £95,128 to £98,984 
			 Major-General2(2 star) £ 18,000 £43,100 £68,115 to £76,250 £103,872.96 to £117,065.04 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. X-Factor was introduced in 1970 to recognise the relative disadvantage in conditions of Service experienced by members of the Armed Forces in comparison to civilian life.
	2. Prior to 2001, for Officers at 1-star rank and prior to 1999, for Officers at 2-star rank there was only one rate of pay, known as a 'spot rate'. A new pay structure was implemented in 2001 and 1999 respectively, which introduced a pay range for 1-star and 2-star officers.

Armed Forces: Piracy

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) ships, (b) rotary wing aircraft, and (c) other assets, are deployed in combating piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: There are currently three maritime assets (two ships and one helicopter) operating around the Horn of Africa. HMS "Portland", with a Lynx MK8 helicopter on board, is conducting maritime operations which include counter piracy and protecting vulnerable shipping. HMS "Portland" is supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker "Wave Knight".

Armed Forces: Piracy

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much British naval deployments in combating piracy have cost in each year since 2007.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Combating piracy is one of a number of concurrent tasks carried out by Royal Navy units. Therefore, the cost of the British naval deployments in combating piracy could only be broken down at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Piracy

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of (a) British ships, and (b) other maritime assets, participating in Operation Atalanta following the increase in size of Atalanta's area of responsibility.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The UK provided HMS "Northumberland" from the start of Operation Atalanta on 8 December 2008 to the 28 February 2009. Currently, we have no plans to contribute further UK assets to Operation Atalanta, but we keep this under review in light of UK operational priorities and force generation requirements.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government in how many asylum cases in (a) 2006, and (b) 2007, a consent order was made in the High Court where the claimant agreed to withdraw an application for judicial review and the Secretary of State agreed to reconsider the claimant's case; how many of those cases from each of those years remain to be reconsidered; and what was the average and the maximum number of days between the consent order and the Secretary of State's reconsidered decision in each of those years.

Lord West of Spithead: The High Court shows that 831 asylum judicial reviews were withdrawn in 2006 and 997 asylum judicial reviews were withdrawn in 2007. However the High Court does not record reasons why the JR was withdrawn and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by the examination of individual case files. The UK Border Agency does not record timescales for reconsidering cases following consent orders on our database and so this information is not available.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they record what happens to failed asylum seekers returned to their country of origin.

Lord West of Spithead: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to him in my letter of 18 June 2008, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Autism

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government which constabularies include formal modules on autism or autism awareness in their police recruitment training course; and, of those that provide such training, what training they provide.

Lord West of Spithead: Both the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) and the Police Community Support Officer learning programme contain modules relating to dealing with persons with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). Both programmes also cover individuals with learning difficulties, which would apply to those with ASDs. All police forces in England and Wales, including the British Transport Police, are required to demonstrate that they meet all the learning outcomes of IPLDP.
	A list of modules which are taken by all police officers as part of IPLDP are given in the attached table. The modules listed have a specific focus on vulnerable persons with a disability or learning difficulties. However, promoting equality, dealing with people in a fair and ethical manner and recognising and responding to the needs of individuals in respect of race and diversity is a theme that is evident throughout IPLDP. This includes having due regard to the Disability Discrimination Act and the Human Rights Act at all times in every situation and interaction. It is expected that during the delivery of training in any subject area, the trainer will make links to develop learning in this area at every opportunity where appropriate.
	
		
			 IPLDP Module Overview 
			 IND 06—assess the needs of individuals and provide advice and support Includes a section on identifying vulnerable witnesses 
			 IND10—using police actions in a fair and justified way Covers communication skills and specifically mentions ASD as a condition that could affect communication 
			 OP6a—interviewing victims and witnesses Highlights the potential for communication difficulties and misunderstanding with ASD 
			 Op6b—interviewing suspects Covers dealing with vulnerable people, whether they are a victim, witness or suspect and the need to treat vulnerable people with particular consideration at all times 
			 OP9—prepare and present case information, present evidence and finalise investigations Features a section on witnesses with learning difficulties and deals with how witnesses with learning difficulties may find the criminal justice process especially stressful, and on occasion, traumatic 
			 LPG 1.3.7—victims and witnesses Looks at the code of practice for the victims of crime and specifically deals with vulnerable and intimidated witnesses 
			 LPG 1.3.18—strategies for dealing with persons suffering from mental disorder Includes identifying people with learning difficulties and court appearances for people with learning difficulties 
			 LPG 1.3.19—mental health Covers dealing with and interviewing people with learning difficulties and mental disorders. it looks at communication and memory difficulties and responses to perceived aggression

Autism

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 57), what procedures are in place in Essex for educationalists making, confirming or overturning a diagnosis of autism.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The information requested is not held centrally as this is a matter for Essex County Council.

Aviation: Air Shows

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for safety at air shows along the north-west coast of England.

Lord Adonis: Responsibility for safety at air shows in the UK lies with the organiser. The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Article 80 of the Air Navigation Order 2005 requires organisers of flying displays to obtain the permission of the CAA.
	The order covers civil and military aircraft participating in flying displays at civilian venues. The order does not cover flying displays at civilian venues where the only participants are military aircraft. Comparable safety standards covering United Kingdom and foreign military aircraft participating in Ministry of Defence and other air displays are contained in military joint service publications.

Banking: Bank of Scotland (Ireland)

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 20 April (WA 302—03) concerning monitoring the activities of the Bank of Scotland (Ireland) in the United Kingdom, what was meant by "regulated primarily by the Irish Financial Regulator"; and which of the bank's operations are regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Lord Myners: I understand that the noble Lord has received a reply to this question from the Financial Services Authority.

Benefits: Deflation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 5 May (WA 105), by what date deflation-proofing legislation would need to be commenced to enable any deflationary movement in the retail prices, Rossi and average earnings indices of September 2009 to be taken account of in the rating of benefits in April 2010; and what preparations they have made for any downrating.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: In the 2009 Budget the Chancellor made the following commitment:
	"the Government will at least maintain the cash value of all benefits, tax credits and personal tax allowances and thresholds in April 2010, despite the expectation RPI inflation will be negative in September this year".
	The existing legislation already allows for this.

Burma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Burma about the Burmese political prisoner Myo Yan Naung Thein, in the light of recent comments by family members living in the United Kingdom.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Our ambassador in Rangoon has repeatedly raised the need for the release of all political prisoners in Burma with ministers in the military government. In the case of Yan Naung Thein, like many other prisoners, we are concerned that he is not in good health. Our embassy in Rangoon continues to inquire about specific cases with political prisoner support networks and those non-governmental organisations concerned with prisoner welfare.
	In the UN's human rights bodies we take every opportunity to press the regime to uphold international human rights norms and release political prisoners. We continue to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights in Myanmar, Mr Tomas Quintana. In a statement to the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2009, the UN Special Rapporteur called upon the Burmese authorities progressively to release all prisoners of conscience.
	Our embassy in Rangoon continues to update Mr Quintana's team on specific prisoners of particular concern, including Myo Yan Naung Thein.

China: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they next intend to raise the situation of the blind Chinese human rights activist, Chen Guangcheng, with the Government of China; and whether in any representation they will request his early release from prison.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We raised the case of Chen Guangcheng at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 12 January 2009, together with the cases of other human rights defenders. Although the Chinese side failed to provide us with a satisfactory response, we are aware that it has since replied to you with a more recent letter with further information on the case. We had also raised this case at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2008 and had previously raised a number of concerns about his treatment in prison with the Chinese Government. We lobby through the EU as well and expect his case to be raised in the course of the next EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. We continue to monitor his situation and will raise his case if we receive reports of mistreatment.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 31 March (cols. WS 83—84), what was the estimated size of the Home Office's non-consolidated performance-related pay pot for the Senior Civil Service in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Lord West of Spithead: Pay arrangements for the Senior Civil Service are based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.
	The size of the pot as a proportion of the pay bill in each year since 2005 is shown in the attached table.
	
		
			 Table showing Bonus Pot for each of the last five years 
			 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 5.0% 6.5% 7.6% 8.6% 8.6%

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government (a) what the total monetary value of Senior Civil Service non-consolidated performance pay awards was in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (b) how many and what proportion of the Senior Civil Service staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received performance pay awards by SCS pay band, and (c) how those awards were distributed by pay band and award category, for each of the past five years for which data are available.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Non-consolidated performance related pay arrangements for staff in the Senior Civil Service/Senior Management Structure in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follow a framework set centrally for Whitehall departments and based on the Government's response to the annual recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	The total monetary value of non-consolidated, non-pensionable performance-related variable pay awards for SMS staff in the FCO in each year was:
	2008: £2,435,100 for performance in 2007-08. 2007: £2,201,790 for performance in 2006-07. 2006: £2,086,636 for performance in 2005-06. 2005: £1,509,410 for performance in 2004-05.
	The number and proportion of eligible staff who received non-consolidated performance payments in each year was:
	2008: 288 (75 per cent)2007: 348 (83 per cent)2006: 336 (78 per cent)2005: 375 (83 per cent)
	Individual awards were distributed in the following ranges:
	2008
	Pay band 1: £0 - £11,500. Pay band 2: £0 - £14,000. Pay band 3: £0 - £17,000.
	2007
	Pay band 1: £0 - £11,000. Pay band 2: £0 - £14,000. Pay band 3: £0 - £16,000.
	2006
	Pay band 1: £0 - £9,000. Pay band 2: £0 - £10,000. Pay band 3: £0 - £14,000.
	2005
	Pay band 1: £0 - £6,000. Pay band 2: £0 - £7,000. Pay band 3: £0 - £13,000.
	Breaking these bonus payments down further by category and pay band would involve disproportionate cost.
	We do not hold records in our central database of payments before 2005.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Norwood Green on 21 April (WA 384) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Lord Young of Norwood Green: The department was created on 28 June 2007. The information requested is set out below in terms of the total paybill and percentage agreed centrally for non-consolidated performance payment:
	
		
			 Year SCS total paybill Non-consolidated performance budget—% of paybill Non-consolidated performance payments 
			 2007-08 £10,488,146 7.6 £577,972 
			 2008-09 £8,616,241 8.6 £311,500 
			 2009-10 £9,918,215 8.6 £493,875

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 20 April 2009 (WA 318) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The following amounts were paid in relation to performance related variable pay.
	2008: £2,435,100 for performance in 2007-08 (8.6 per cent of senior pay bill).2007: £2,201,790 for performance in 2006-07 (7.6 per cent of senior pay bill).2006: £2,086,636 for performance in 2005-06 (6.5 per cent of senior pay bill).2005: £1,509,410 for performance in 2004-05 (5 per cent of senior pay bill).
	We do not hold figures in our central database for payments in 2004.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 27 April (WA 2) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The following table gives the department's total Senior Civil Service (SCS) pay bill figures for each year since 2005 together with the associated percentages which show the size of the non-consolidated pot as a proportion of pay bill:
	
		
			 Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Pay bill (£) 20,742,391.80 20,800,944.32 21,348,897.63 21,830,008.98 23,197,363.53 
			 Non-consolidated Pot as % 5.0% 6.5% 7.6% 8.6% 8.6% 
		
	
	Pay bill figures given are as at 31 March for each year.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Carter of Barnes on 21 April (WA 383) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Lord Carter of Barnes: A close and effective link between pay and performance and increased use of variable pay is a key element of the reward arrangements for the Civil Service and the Senior Civil Service in particular.
	
		
			 Year 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Pot 5.0% 6.5% 7.6% 8.6% 8.6% 
			 SCS Paybill £2,301,562 £2,331,897 £3,659,835 £2,416,714 £3,751,564* 
		
	
	* This figure is an estimate only (payroll data for April 2009 are multiplied by 12)

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 20 April (WA 318) concerning the amount of funding for Senior Civil Servants' performance-related pay, what were the figures requested.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The information requested is set out below in terms of the total paybill and percentage agreed centrally for non-consolidated performance payments:
	
		
			 Year SCS total paybill (£m) Non-consolidated performance budget—% of paybill Non-consolidated performance payments (£m) 
			 2005-06 9.77 5.0 0.49 
			 2006-07 9.83 6.5 0.64 
			 2007-08 10.43 7.6 0.80 
			 2008-09 9.26 8.6 0.80 
			 2009-10 10.16 8.6 0.87

Colombia

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will monitor the trial of the head of the Colombian Internal Security Department, Jorge Noguera Cotes.

Lord Malloch-Brown: Our embassy in Bogota will follow this case. The allegations made against Jorge Noguera are serious and we are encouraged that a high level investigation is being taken forward. We hope that the investigation and any judicial process will be taken forward impartially and in accordance with Colombian law.

Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single farm payments are outstanding from 2005 to 2008; and what proportion were settled after the date they were due to be paid.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The payment window for the single payment scheme (SPS) is from 1 December to 30 June of the following calendar year.
	The table below gives the number of claims under SPS that remain to be paid for the scheme years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. It also shows the percentage of claims where an initial payment was made after the regulatory payment deadline for the scheme years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The payment window for the 2008 scheme year is still open.
	
		
			 SPS Scheme Year Number of Claims Outstanding at 13 May 2009 *** % Claims where First Payment was made after 30 June 
			 2005 4* 8.8% 
			 2006 12* 1.2% 
			 2007 63* 0.95% 
			 2008 4,100** - 
		
	
	* These are primarily probate cases and those where payment has been made by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and returned by the receiving bank. RPA is working to resolve these issues with the customers involved.
	** This figure includes claims that may not be valid for payment once all the necessary checks are completed.
	*** This is a percentage of the total number of claims made.

Credit Cards

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to require credit card companies to identify clearly in statements when monthly amounts should be settled and the timescale for posting cheques.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government already expect lenders to specify on statements the payment due date where an amount is due. Industry best practice guidance requires lenders to clearly state the payment due date in statements. Under that guidance, statements should also list the various methods consumers can use to make a payment, giving clear advice on how long they should allow to ensure that their payment reaches their lender in time.

Criminal Justice: Mental Health

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish criminal justice mental health teams in all primary care trusts in England, as recommended in the Bradley report; and whether these will be mandated in the next NHS Operating Framework.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to act upon the Bradley report recommendation for a 14-day waiting time target for transfers from prison to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Lord Bradley's report has made 82 recommendations and the Government endorse the aims behind these recommendations. However, Lord Bradley's report itself recognises many recommendations, including those relating to criminal justice mental health teams and the 14 day waiting time target to transfer prisoners to hospital, are longer term and will need further work to ensure that all implications are considered. This work will be remitted to the new National Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board which will report progress to Parliament in October 2009.

Criminal Justice: Mental Health

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to explore the feasibility of transferring responsibility for commissioning healthcare in police stations to the National Health Service.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to conduct a review of the potential for early intervention with children and young people at risk of offending, as recommended in the Bradley report.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Lord Bradley's report has made 82 recommendations and the Government have produced a response to each of these recommendations in its Written Ministerial Statement, which was published alongside Lord Bradley's report.
	The Government are clear in this response that the new Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board, set up as a result of another of Lord Bradley's recommendations, will examine the potential benefits of transferring commissioning in police stations to the National Health Service and report to Ministers on the options by April 2010. However, Lord Bradley's report itself recognises many recommendations, including that concerning a further review of the potential for early intervention with children and young people, are longer term and will need further work to ensure that all implications are considered. This work will also be remitted to the new National Health and Criminal Justice Programme Board, which will develop its delivery plan based on Lord Bradley's recommendations and report progress to Parliament in October 2009.

Cycling

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which departments are implementing their cycle to work scheme.

Lord Adonis: This information is not held centrally by the Department for Transport and the information we do hold is incomplete. It is for each department to implement a scheme for its employees as it chooses.
	The Department for Transport has had a cycle-to-work scheme in place since November 2006, in addition to an advance of salary scheme to provide employees with access to a bicycle.

Cyclists

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to Westminster City Council about the re-arrangement of foot and cycle paths in the area of the Palace of Westminster to allow more clearly marked areas for cyclists.

Lord Adonis: None; decisions about restricting the use of particular sections of road between different classes of user, and the placing of associated traffic signing and road markings, are the responsibility of the relevant highway and traffic authority; in this instance, Westminster City Council.

De-militarisation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been involved in discussions between Turkey, Iraq, the Kurdish Regional Government, the United States and the Kurdistan Workers Party about regional self-determination and de-militarisation; and what assessment they have made of progress on those issues.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, and we are not involved in discussions with it. However, we continue to discuss PKK terrorist activity with the Governments of Iraq, Turkey and the US as well as with the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq (KRG). In this context the UK welcomes the tripartite mechanism set up between Iraq, Turkey and the US. The UK also welcomes the continued dialogue between Turkey and the KRG on this issue, which, together with addressing the economic, political and social needs of the south-east, should help to resolve the situation.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of (a) the number of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and (b) the effectiveness of the campaign to demobilise child soldiers.

Lord Malloch-Brown: A recent visit of the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict reported that in North Kivu there were 1,200 child soldiers. However, it is difficult to assess the accuracy of this figure or to find a reliable estimate regarding the overall number of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Last year new cases of recruitment of children were attributed to a number of armed groups including the Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance, Mai-Mai, the National Congress for the Defence of the People, the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda and the Lords Resistance Army.
	We are concerned by reports of continuing child recruitment in violation of international law, including those being integrated into the Congolese armed forces due to the lack of a proper screening process. The UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) has reported some recent successes in freeing child soldiers, including the rescue of 23 children in South Kivu at the end of April 2009.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the final decision regarding the removal of Blaise Kamba and his two sisters to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency wrote to the noble Lord with regard to this family on 15 May 2009.

Disabled Children

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 57), how disabled children receive services based on their needs as assessed by a multi-disciplinary team; and what bodies constitute that multi-disciplinary team.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services chapter on disabled children and young people and those with complex health needs sets out guidance on integrated diagnosis and assessment for disabled children. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures, the strategy for children and young people's health, reiterates the importance of multi-disciplinary teams. A copy has already been placed in the Library. These teams may include a range of health and children's services professionals, depending on the needs of the individual child, such as:
	doctors, including community paediatricians; community children's nurses;health visitors;allied health professionals including: physiotherapists; speech therapists and occupational therapists;staff from child and adolescent mental health services; specialist health professionals for rare conditions; social workers;school health services;midwives; andneonatal nurses.

Drugs: Khat

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering classifying khat as a controlled substance, following the report in the Guardian on 11 May.

Lord West of Spithead: Pursuant to our commitment in the Government's 2008 Drug Strategy Action Plan, we are currently updating our understanding of the individual and social harms caused by khat use, the needs of khat users and their families, and its impact on the UK Somali, Ethiopian and Yemeni communities. Following the outcome of this research work, we will reconsider our position on the control of khat under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

e-Borders

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many personnel will be required for case-by-case investigation of e-borders alerts when the system goes nationwide; and what will be the cost of undertaking those checks.

Lord West of Spithead: e-Borders alerts will be an integral part of agencies normal border activities including managing immigration, tackling smuggling and the detection and arrest of offenders. It is not possible to directly attribute the number of personnel required to investigate e-Borders alerts at the border or the cost of undertaking those checks.

Economy: National Debt

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed any relationship between extending British working lives and reducing public borrowing.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed any relationship between extending British working lives and reducing in national debt.

Lord Myners: The Government are committed to maintaining and improving the employment opportunities for older workers. Between 1997 and 2008 the employment rate of older workers rose from 65 per cent to 72 per cent. Currently, around 1.3 million people have chosen to carry on working past state pension age. The Government's existing policies on the state pension age are incorporated into projections for the public finances.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 10 January 2008 (WA 217) regarding the separation between researchers and those carrying out a woman's infertility treatment, whether a researcher at a licensed centre would be permitted to give medication or collect eggs from patients; and what steps they have taken to ensure that personnel engaged in the treatment of patients are not also directly engaged in research with gametes or embryos from the same patients.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised me that where donated gametes are used for the purpose of research, the HFEA code of practice requires clinics to ensure that aspects of the clinical and research roles are separated, and that personnel giving medication and carrying out egg collection are qualified and competent to perform such tasks.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 18 May (WA 251), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) sees no need to reiterate the public comments made by its former chair; and whether the HFEA still supports the comments of the former HFEA chair made in January 2004.

Lord Darzi of Denham: I have been advised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that the comments made by the former chair in January 2004 still stand.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 16 July 2008 (WA 153—4), 6 May (WA 117) and 18 May (WA 250), why it would be inappropriate for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to indicate how it might respond to potential licence applications, if the HFEA's Horizon Scanning Panel ensures that the HFEA is aware of potential licence applications in order to be prepared with an Authority policy or position, and given that the HFEA previously consulted Dr P M Zavos's work.

Lord Darzi of Denham: I have been advised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that licence applications have to be considered by a licence committee of the HFEA; they are not considered by the authority as a whole. HFEA licence committees are required to consider individual licence applications on their merits, taking into account the circumstances of the particular application before them. These can include the character and qualification of the person responsible to be named on the licence, the suitability of the proposed premises, scrutiny of whether use of embryos is necessary or desirable to carry out that particular research project and scrutiny of the protocols and consent forms. Therefore, general indications regarding whether the HFEA would grant particular licences would serve little purpose.
	When making policy the HFEA may take into account any relevant advice received from its advisory committees and its horizon scanning panel, which keeps abreast of a wide range of scientific work.

Employment: Access to Records

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will allow employers to access records of school achievements, exclusions and expulsions in respect of young people entering the job market.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The department owns the National Pupil Database which contains pupil and student characteristic information from the School Census, matched to attainment data at each key stage. Under the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) (England) Regulations 2009, the department may provide individual pupil information to prescribed persons. Potential employers are not included in the list of prescribed persons, and the department does not provide a service to employers to access pupil records.

Employment: Migrant Workers

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to implement the High Court judgments of April 2008 and April 2009 regarding the settlement criteria for highly skilled migrants.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency formed a new policy in July 2008, in order to implement the High Court judgment of April 2008.
	Following the subsequent High Court judgment concerning the change in the qualifying time period for settlement, which was handed down on 6 April 2009, the court has given the UK Border Agency until 20 May 2009 to form a further new policy. This new policy will be published on the UK Border Agency website.

Employment: Migrant Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions they draw for improving the protection of foreign domestic workers from the decisions of the Employment Tribunal in the cases of Awan v Shariff and Salleh (case No 3302759/2007, judgment on 1 August 2008) and Asuquo v Gbaja (case No. 3200383/ 2008, judgment on 2 January).

Lord Carter of Barnes: It is for the tribunals to decide whether UK employment protection legislation applies to foreign domestic workers in particular cases. It would be inappropriate to comment on their decisions, but we note that the applicants in the cases cited were successful in, for instance, asserting their right to the national minimum wage.

Energy: Meters

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the new agency created to manage Smart meters will ensure the security of personal data.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government published a consultation on smart metering on 11 May 2009 (available on the open consultations section of the DECC website). The consultation document sets out the Government's preference for delivery model under which suppliers would procure and install smart meters and a national communications network would be put in place to support smart meter communications. Final decisions on the delivery model will be taken once the consultation is complete.
	The consultation document also includes discussion of the preparation programme that will be needed before the roll out of smart meters can begin. Data access and data protection will be considered as part of that programme. Privacy impact assessments and Data Protection Act compliance checks will be required at appropriate stages of the project, and the detailed design and delivery of the project as a whole will be taken forward in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and the Information Commissioner as appropriate.

Energy: Wind Farms

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements are in place to reconcile the requirements of draft proposals for Special Areas of Conservation with those of Round Three of the Crown Estate's leasing programme for wind farms.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Under the EC Habitats Directive, 1992, the UK is obliged to designate special areas of conservation. Their designation can be based only on scientific evidence and European case law rules that socio-economic impacts cannot be taken into account in the designation process.
	My department is currently considering draft proposals for special areas of conservation (SACs) from the statutory nature conservation bodies. We are likely to conduct a formal consultation on these sites in November 2009.
	Any development that is likely to have a significant effect on the SAC, either individually or in combination with other plans and projects, such as construction of wind farms, must be assessed in accordance with Article 6.3 of the Habitats Directive which is transposed and implemented in the UK by the Habitats Regulations 1994 and the Offshore Marine Conservation Regulations 2007. In the event of a negative assessment and absence of alternative solutions, a development may be carried out for reasons of overriding public interest, as long as compensatory measures are put in place to ensure the overall coherence of the site network. . Designation of an area as an SAC does not necessarily restrict the construction or operation of wind farms in or near that area.

Equal Pay

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of the report in the Financial Times of 5 May, whether there is a gender pay gap in the Army Base Repair Organisation; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The Army Base Repair Organisation became part of the new Defence Support Group Trading Fund on 1 April 2008. I refer the noble Lord to a similar Answer I gave on 19 May (Official Report, col. WA 292-93) to the noble Baroness, Lady Warsi. I would also like to direct him to the tables on gender pay gaps as set out in the Civil Service Statistics, Table 27, which is provided at the following link at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
	Any overall pay gap figure is not relevant in the context of equal pay legislation as it does not compare like-for-like work.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I refer the noble Baroness to tables 25 (ethnicity), 26 (disability) and 27 (gender) on the 2008 Civil Service Statistics website that provides details of the pay gaps that exist under the various categories for the department, in relation to gender and for the civil service as a whole, in relation to ethnicity and disability.
	These details can be accessed via the attached link at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what pay gaps there are in respect of gender, race and disability among employees of the Home Office.

Lord West of Spithead: The latest published information on gender pay differentials in the Home Office is available on the Civil Service Statistics website (table 27 refers) at www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls.
	Information about Home Office pay differentials relating to ethnicity and disability is not available for the same period, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Civil Service Statistics website sets out this information for the Civil Service as a whole: Tables 25 (Median Earnings by Ethnicity) and 26 (Median Earnings by Disability) refer.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a gender pay gap in the Wales Office; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Data available on staffing levels in the Civil Service is collected by the Cabinet Office and published in the Civil Service Statistics. A copy of which can be found at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/CivilService_tables_2008.xls
	The Wales Office Annual Report 2008 (Cm 7404) including details of staff by gender. A copy of the Wales Office Departmental Report 2008 can be obtained from the Library of the House.

Equal Pay: Government Departments

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of the report in the Financial Times of 5 May, whether there is a gender pay gap in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; if so, what is the percentage difference; and what are the reasons for the difference.

Lord Carter of Barnes: Pay gaps by gender for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are published in the Civil Service Statistics, and are set out below.
	
		
			  Median Earnings   Mean Earnings   
			  Male Female % Diff Male Female % Diff 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 32,130 27,600 14.1 37,640 30,920 17.9 
		
	
	It is important to note that the gap highlighted above is not relevant in the context of equal pay legislation, as it does not compare like-for-like work.

Equality Bill

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will seek the agreement of the Northern Ireland Executive for the Equality Bill to extend to Northern Ireland in relation to amendments to, and re-enactment of, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The decision on whether or not to seek the extension of the Equality Bill to Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administration.

Equality Bill

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the report on the informal exercise on the extent to which some communities believe caste is a continuing social phenomenon within British society and on the question of whether there is evidence that individuals have been discriminated against on that ground; and what implications that exercise has for the Equality Bill.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government why caste is not one of the protected characteristics listed in Clause 4 of the Equality Bill.

Baroness Andrews: Caste has not been included within the scope of the Equality Bill because there is insufficient evidence that caste discrimination is a significant problem in Great Britain in the specific fields that discrimination law covers: namely, in employment; vocational training; the provision of goods, facilities and services; private clubs; the management or disposal of premises; education; and the exercise of public functions.
	The informal exercise on the issue of caste that we conducted last year was intended to enable officials to gain a better understanding of the issues and to offer stakeholders the opportunity to put forward evidence of caste-based discrimination. It was not a formal consultation exercise and the Government do not plan to publish a report on the replies that were received.
	The Government are keeping the matter under review and my officials will shortly be meeting representatives of organisations with an interest.

Ethiopia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how many (a) journalists, and (b) aid workers, have been expelled from the Ogaden in the past two years by the government of Ethiopia; how many of each group were British citizens; whether they made representations on this subject; and, if so, with what result.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We have made no assessment of exactly how many journalists and aid workers have been expelled by the Government of Ethiopia from the Somali region of Ethiopia (the Ogaden) in the past two years or how many of them were British citizens.
	The International Committee for the Red Cross is the most notable organisation to be expelled from the Somalia region (July 2007). Even though it is still working to a minimum level in the rest of Ethiopia, there are no signs that it will be allowed to re-enter the Somali Region. We are also aware that Medicins Sans Frontieres (Switzerland) ceased operating in the region in mid 2008 claiming intimidation and inability to do its job.
	We are aware that a British journalist visiting the region in late 2007 was detained for not having the requisite permissions to travel in the region and subsequently left the country.
	We continue to press the Government of Ethiopia to allow aid agencies to have greater access to the Ogaden in order to assist with the humanitarian situation.

Finance: Trading of Derivatives

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce measures regarding the transparency of the trading of derivatives and to enable regulators to limit the amount of derivatives that a company can sell or that any institution may hold.

Lord Myners: Section 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 requires that anyone dealing in, or arranging deals in, investments be authorised by the Financial Services Authority. This includes firms or individuals trading in derivatives.
	The Government support industry initiatives to clear more derivative products through central counterparties and international initiatives to update the regulations governing the derivatives market.

Geert Wilders

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Mr Geert Wilders was on the list of people recently published by the Home Secretary as having been banned from entering the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: No. The list published by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary on 5 May 2009 named 16 individuals who have recently been excluded from the UK by her on grounds of unacceptable behaviour.
	Mr Wilders was refused admission to the UK on 12 February 2009 on public policy and public security grounds under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.

Government Departments: Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spent on bottled water in each of the past five years.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Defra's policy on tap and bottled water was set out in a notice to staff and published on 9 February 2007:
	, covered jugs will be left in meeting rooms, for meeting organisers to fill up with tap water from the nearest kitchen point.
	This measure is a commitment by Defra to sustainable development. The bottling process is resource intensive and uses energy that generates greenhouse gas emissions, through both manufacture and transportation. It also generates waste plastic and glass which will, at best, have to be recycled if it is to be kept out of landfill. Even the recycling process uses energy and has an impact on the environment.
	Defra's caterers will also remove bottled water from the hospitality menu".
	Prior to this date and from information held centrally, the value of mineral water supplied to the department, over the specified period, is tabulated below.
	
		
			 Year 2005 2006 2007 Total 
			 Cost Per Annum £18,699 £24,744 £3,392 £46,313

Government Departments: Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Work and Pensions spent on bottled water in each of the past five years.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Bottled water for meetings was sourced from a variety of contracts and not accounted for separately, so could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The department stopped the provision of bought-in bottled water for meetings from mid-July 2008 following a request to all government departments to cease the provision of bottled water for meetings.

Government Departments: Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department of Health spent on bottled water in each of the past five years.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department has expended the following sums on providing bottled water in each of the past five years:
	
		
			 2004 not available 
			 2005 £93,089 
			 2006 £105,722 
			 2007 £108,752 
			 2008 £49,766 
		
	
	Reduction in expenditure during 2008 has been achieved by the introduction of bottling the direct water supply to departmental buildings which is presented to meetings in flasks provided for this purpose, thereby reducing cost, delivery mileage and emissions.

Government Departments: Staff Absence

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the rates of staff (a) absence, and (b) sickness absence, were at (1) the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and (2) each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, in each of the last three years; and what the targets for the department were in each case.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is not possible to provide rates of staff absence as arrangements for absence such as annual leave, maternity leave, and training are agreed locally between line managers and their staff. Asking each individual line manager in the department for details would incur disproportionate cost.
	DECC was created on 3 October 2008 and at this time there is no published data on sick absence data for this department.

Guantanamo Bay

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 20 April (WA 342), (a) which of the following former Guantanamo Bay detainees are entitled to support in accordance with their immigration status, and (b) which of them are claiming some or all of that support: (1) Omar Deghayes; (2) Binyam Mohamed; (3) Jamal Abdullah Kiyemba; (4) Bisher al-Rawi; (5) Jamil al-Banna; and (6) Abdenour Sameur.

Lord West of Spithead: It is not the policy of the UK Border Agency to disclose to third parties personal information about individuals, including information concerning their immigration status.
	All the foreign nationals who have been returned from Guantanamo Bay were previously legally resident in the UK. Once an individual's immigration status has been established they will be subject to UK tax arrangements and may also have access to certain benefits including those available from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), National Health Service (NHS) and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Entitlements to these benefits are not solely based on their immigration status and other factors would need to be considered. Whilst an individual is awaiting an immigration decision they may be entitled to support by UKBA, such as asylum or Part 4 (support) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
	Only five of the individuals named were returned to the UK. Mr Kiyemba has not returned to the UK.

Gurkhas

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of Gurkha soldiers, who retired before 1997 and still live abroad, are known to want to move to the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: This information is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Gurkhas

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many retired Gurkhas are in receipt of pensions; and what was the aggregate value of pensions remitted to Nepal in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: We believe that there are around 45,000 retired Gurkhas, most of whom live in Nepal. Of these, some 26,500 are retired British Army Gurkhas in receipt of service pensions, mostly under the terms of the Gurkha Pension Scheme but some also under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
	There are about 10,500 veterans/veterans' widows who do not qualify for a service pension but who receive a welfare pension from the Gurkha Welfare Scheme, which is the field arm of the independent charity, the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Over half of these are Gurkhas who served in the pre-independence Indian army.
	The remainder are veterans who did not serve for long enough to qualify for a service pension and who are not yet old enough (60 years) or needy enough to qualify for a Welfare Pension. Many would have been made redundant with less than 10 years' service when the Brigade of Gurkhas reduced in size, particularly in the late 1960s before the move from Malaysia to Hong Kong. They would have received a gratuity but no pension.
	The welfare pension is paid from donations made to the Gurkha Welfare Trust. The Ministry of Defence makes a grant of over £1 million per year to the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which covers most of its administrative costs in Nepal.
	The annual value of Gurkha Pension Scheme pensions that will be paid by the MoD in Nepal in 2009-10 is £54 million.

Health: Clinical Diagnoses

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 57), whether local authorities have disputed other clinical diagnoses made by medical practitioners; and, if so, in what circumstances.

Lord Darzi of Denham: This information is not collected centrally.

Health: Dietary Guidelines

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the 2008 paper A Call for Higher Standards of Evidence for Dietary Guidelines published by Paul R Marantz et al in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) agrees with the author's argument that dietary recommendations should be based on sound scientific evidence. The FSA and United Kingdom Health Departments are advised on nutrition issues by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). The committee bases its recommendations on the totality of the scientific literature using an agreed framework (SACN, 2002) that uses a hierarchy approach that ranks studies on quality. Where there is insufficient evidence to make a recommendation, then SACN will state that this is the case. SACN's findings are published in reports which are made available to the public.

Health: Dietary Guidelines

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research has been conducted by the Food Standards Agency to show that their dietary guidelines on salt, hydrogenated (trans-) fat and saturated fat consumption designed to address coronary heart disease do not create other risks to health.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) advice to consumers on salt, hydrogenated (trans-) fat and saturated fat is based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) on trans fatty acids (2007) and salt (2003), and its predecessor committee, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) on trans fatty acids (1994) and saturated fat (1994).
	The SACN's recommendations are based on a consideration of studies against a published framework for the evaluation of evidence (SACN, 2002), and both the benefits and risks of a nutrient on health are considered under this framework.
	The FSA has not funded specific research on risks associated with SACN and COMA advice but monitors scientific research as it is published.

Health: Dietary Guidelines

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government in the light of their dietary recommendations for reductions in consumption of saturated fats and hydrogenated (trans-) fats, what advice they offer to consumers regarding the replacement of butter and margarine.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) saturated fat campaign encourages consumers to reduce their intake of saturated fat, as a means to improve their cardiovascular health. The FSA advises that people replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats—an example of this is to replace butter with margarine in the diet.
	Most margarine products contain low levels of trans fats (less than 1 per cent), which like saturated fat is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, the current United Kingdom population trans fat intakes are about half the maximum recommended level of 2 per cent of food energy, as recommended by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA, 1994) and endorsed by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN, 2007). Government will continue to monitor saturated fat and trans fat intakes in the population.

Health: Dietary Guidelines

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average calorie intake in the United Kingdom in 1980; what it was at the most recent date for which figures are available; what proportion of calories was in absolute carbohydrate intake and what proportion was in absolute fat intake for those years; and what was the percentage increase in overweight and obesity over that period.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Comparable information on average energy (calorie) intake for adults in Britain and the contribution of fat and carbohydrate to energy intake is available for 1986-87 and 2000-01. This is shown in the following table. These figures are taken from the Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults aged 16 to 64 years, carried out in 1986-87 and the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years, carried out in 2000-01.
	Data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2007 estimates that 24 per cent of men and women are obese and 61 per cent are overweight (including obese). In 1993, 13 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women in England were obese, while 53 per cent of adults were overweight and obese1.
	
		
			  1986-87*  2000-01**  
			  16-64 years  19-64 years  
			  Men Women Men Women 
			 Energy intake (kcals/day) 2,450 1,680 2,313 1,632 
			 % food energy from total fat 40.4 40.3 35.8 34.9 
			 % food energy from total carbohydrate 44.7 44.2 47.7 48.5 
			 % overweight (BMI >25 & <30) 37 24 41 33 
			 % obese (BMI >30) 8 12 25 20 
		
	
	1 The Information Centre (2008) Statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet: England, January 2008: The Information Centre, Lifestyles Statistics.
	* Data from Gregory J, Foster K, Tyler H, & Wiseman M. Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British adults. HMSO (London, 1990)
	** Data from Henderson L, Gregory 3, Irving K & Swan G. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: adults aged 19 to 64 years. Volume 2: Energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat and alcohol intake. TSO (London: 2003).

Health: Former UK Residents

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 18 May (WA 260), how under European Union regulation 1408/71 the most recently agreed EEA health reimbursement annual average cost of £2,605.81 per head for United Kingdom pensioners and their dependants was calculated; what it would be this year; and when that 2003 figure will be subject to review.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The European Union (EU) approved United Kingdom average cost for pensioners and their dependants for 2003 was based on the overall domestic healthcare expenditure and the UK population for that year. Once average costs for any particular year have been approved at EU level, they are not subject to a further review. The UK average costs are calculated on the same basis for every year, in arrears. The average costs for this year will be calculated once the corresponding healthcare expenditure data are available.

Health: Former UK Residents

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 18 May (WA 260), why their representatives agreed at the European Union-level group an annual average cost for pensioners and their dependants for Ireland of €8,322 per head in 2004; and what assessment they have made of average costs for Ireland being three times greater than the United Kingdom figure of £2,605.81 per head.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The United Kingdom agreed average costs submitted by the Republic of Ireland in respect of 2003 and 2004 at a European Union (EU) level meeting in November 2008. Health Ministers considered that sufficient progress had been made in bilateral discussions on payments the UK makes to the Republic of Ireland under a bilateral health agreement to allow this agreement. During these ongoing bilateral discussions, UK officials have raised the difference between the UK's and Ireland's average costs. Under EU regulations, the UK has no direct say in how another member state calculates these costs. However, the UK has agreed with Irish officials that there will be an exchange of data in respect of Irish average costs for 2005 and onwards to enable a clearer understanding of how they are calculated and why any level of difference from UK average costs exists.

Health: Former UK Residents

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 18 May (WA 259), why they do not seek to obtain the numbers and nationalities of foreign European Union or EEA nationals treated in the devolved health services in order to add them to the United Kingdom annual reimbursement claim.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Department of Health officials are currently exploring the scope for obtaining data on overseas visitors treated by the devolved health authorities in order for the United Kingdom to make claims against other member states on their behalf.

Health: Heart Disease

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the decrease in cardiovascular disease attributed to dietary changes between 1980 and 2008; and what has been the increase in cardiovascular disease associated with obesity and diabetes over that period.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Death rates from cardiovascular disease for people under age 75 are down by 44 per cent from 1995-97 baseline, saving nearly 33,000 lives in 2007, compared to 1996. The target of reducing premature mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and related conditions by at least 40 per cent has also been met five years ahead of schedule.
	The national service framework for CHD (March 2000) set out a 10-year framework for action to prevent disease, tackle inequalities, save more lives, and improve the quality of life for people with heart disease. A study into the reasons for declining mortality rates from coronary heart disease in England and Wales between 1981 and 2000, found that 58 per cent of the decline was attributable to major risk factors rather than treatment. The principal factor was reduced smoking.
	Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of CHD and type 2 diabetes. The World Health Organisation's world health report 2002 estimated that, in developed countries about a third of CHD and ischaemic stroke and about 60 per cent of hypertensive disease was caused by being overweight.

Health: Influenza Virus

Earl Howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what enquiries they have made of the World Health Organisation about their investigation into the release of material contaminated with the H5N1 influenza virus by Baxter International in Orth-Donau, Austria, earlier this year; what the circumstances were surrounding that release; and what risk it posed to public health.

Lord Darzi of Denham: No direct enquiries have been made with the World Health Organisation on the subject. However, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency became aware of the incident in February 2009 via an inquiry from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. There was no risk to public health in the United Kingdom.
	In December 2008 cross-contamination of the replication deficient H3N2 influenza virus with wild-type H5N1 virus occurred in a research facility in Austria, the Baxter Biomedical Research Centre in Orth. This virus material was produced exclusively for laboratory analytical and research purposes and as the material was not for human use, good manufacturing practice for medicinal products was not applied to its preparation. The contaminated virus material was supplied to four test laboratories in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovenia between December 2008 and February 2009.
	Baxter has reported that the contaminated material was transported and handled under appropriate bio-containment conditions and potentially exposed laboratory or transport personnel demonstrated no symptoms of influenza. When tested they were confirmed to be negative for the influenza virus. All affected facilities and equipment were disinfected and the contaminated virus material destroyed. Following root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions have been taken by the company to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Houses of Parliament: Demonstrations

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with those demonstrating about Sri Lanka in Parliament Square in order to reduce the level of disruption caused to the public.

Lord West of Spithead: The Foreign Secretary has met some demonstrators in wider meetings he has held with representatives of the Tamil community and British MPs to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka.

Houses of Parliament: Demonstrations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government why on Monday 11 May those demonstrating about Sri Lanka were allowed to block the road on two sides of Parliament Square; and what permission for their demonstrations was sought or granted.

Lord West of Spithead: The policing of demonstrations around Parliament is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police.

Houses of Parliament: Select Committees

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 20 April (WA 346), on how many occasions and in what circumstances Ministers of the Cabinet Office have refused to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees during the past five years.

Lord Patel of Bradford: I am not aware of any occasion where a Cabinet Office Minister has refused to give evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee during the past five years.

Houses of Parliament: Select Committees

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 20 April (WA 346), on how many occasions and in what circumstances Ministers of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and its predecessors have refused to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees during the past five years.

Lord Carter of Barnes: None to my knowledge and to the research I have commissioned to see what has been the practice over the past four years.

Hussar Ltd

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the activities of Hussar Ltd, a United Kingdom company based in Jersey with a London office, with regard to the purchase of gold in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The UN's Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has investigated the activities of Hussar Ltd in the trade of gold from DRC. Its inquiries covered Hussar Ltd's relationship with Uganda Commercial Impex Ltd, a company now subject to UN sanctions. We concluded in 2006 that it would not be appropriate to impose sanctions on Hussar Ltd through the UN. We have no information to indicate that Hussar is currently involved in the trade of gold from DRC. If it resumes its involvement in this trade, we would expect the company to act in compliance with the terms of the UN arms embargo and sanctions regime which apply in DRC.

Identity Cards

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have chosen Manchester to launch the pilot ID card scheme.

Lord West of Spithead: Greater Manchester is already leading the way in the roll-out of identity cards. The city's airport is working with the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) as one of the first wave of airports which are introducing identity cards to airside workers from this autumn. Launching the service to the public in Manchester will widen the range of people in the region who are using the service.
	It will give the public, retailers and service providers a chance to become familiar with the cards as supporting hardware such as chip and pin readers are introduced. Another factor in Manchester's favour is its large population of young people and students. Our research indicates that this group is particularly likely to need to be able to prove their age and identity and are thus likely to benefit from the early adoption of ID cards.

Identity Cards

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a telephone check to determine whether an ID card is genuine would rely on the ID card's number to establish its status.

Lord West of Spithead: A telephone check to IPS would include the ID card (product) number as well as certain other information on the face of the card. This information would be sufficient for IPS to determine whether such a card was issued and is still valid. Such a check would also require authentication that the requesting party was authorised to make the request, that they were doing so with the card holder's consent, that the person presenting the card resembled the photograph on the card and that the card showed no obvious signs of tampering. The process for doing this would be very similar to the current Passport Validation Service, but the exact process is still being defined.

Identity Cards

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many foreign nationals have been issued with an ID card since November 2008; what was the unit cost of production; and how much each foreign national paid for their card.

Lord West of Spithead: As of the end of April 2009, the UK Border Agency had issued over 34,120 identity cards for foreign nationals.
	The total estimated cost of the scheme from April 2009 to April 2019 is £379 million for non-EEA foreign nationals. These cost estimates are updated and published every six months in the Identity Cards Costs Report.
	The cost of the identity card for foreign nationals is included within the immigration application fee for those in the relevant categories and these fees vary from category to category and can be found in the UKBA website. The cost of replacing a card if it is lost, stolen or damaged is £30 in 2009-10.

Identity Cards

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the implementation of ID cards in Manchester is being explained to the population, particularly students.

Lord West of Spithead: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is undertaking a range of communications activity with citizens in the Manchester area including:
	Established pages on the Direct.gov.uk citizen facing website
	To help improve communications around the development and launch of the identity card, IPS launched a website on 6 May 2009. Through the site located at www.direct.gov.uk/identity citizens will be able register their interest in identity cards and the National Identity Service (NIS). Once registered on the site they will receive regular e-newsletters providing help and advice around how to protect your identity, the development of the NIS and the introduction of identity cards.
	Planned marketing activity
	IPS is working with a media planning agency to finalise the marketing channel strategy for activity in and around Greater Manchester. We expect to be undertaking two campaigns. The first, due to go live during August, will be aimed at businesses in those sectors which are likely to come into contact with identity cards when they are selling products or services. The second, due to go live during October, is aimed at citizens to notify them about the ability to get an identity card in their area and explaining what it can do for them.
	Recent stakeholder and communications activity
	IPS has met with a large number of stakeholder organisations as part of a continuing programme to inform and consult on the NIS. These have included organisations from the public, private and third sector including National Union of Students, Universities UK and other organisations representing students. In Greater Manchester in particular we have already met with organisations such as the Learning and Skills Council and the universities. The Home Secretary's speech on the 29 January in Manchester Town Hall was attended by 35 different organisations from Greater Manchester.
	IPS will continue our programme of stakeholder involvement to ensure that important information regarding the NIS reaches the widest possible audience. We are planning events in Greater Manchester over the next two months and will ensure that student organisations are represented.
	We also send out a monthly newsletter to stakeholders to keep them informed about the NIS and this currently goes to 600 organisations.
	Activity with young people
	During her recent visit to Manchester, the Home Secretary visited Newall Green School in Wythenshawe to meet young people who could be some of the first to be able to apply for cards from 2010. Together they discussed how identity cards will help young people strike out on their own by opening their first bank account, renting their first flat, or perhaps travelling to Europe for the first time.
	Recent media activity
	As part of the Home Secretary's recent visit to Manchester, the regional broadcast/ print media were invited to attend and film her visit to a local school to discuss identity issues, and undertake interviews with the Home Secretary. We also issued a press notice including a supportive statement from Manchester Airport Group. IPS provided proactive briefings with regional media following the speech.
	Local coverage of the event focused primarily on good pieces in the Manchester Evening News and Press Association, which was picked up more widely by local and regional media.
	National online coverage was reported by BBC News, ITN Online, Channel Four Online, Eastern Daily Press and a range of global news sites.
	Channel M filmed the Home Secretary's visit and Key 103, City Talk and XFM recorded interviews.

Identity Cards

Baroness Hanham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what benefits they expect as a result of immigrants being issued with ID cards; and how they are being monitored.

Lord West of Spithead: The identity card for foreign nationals provides evidence of the holder's nationality, identity and status in the U.K. It provides information that makes it easier to understand the migrant's entitlement, including any right to work or access public services. Taking biometrics, and then locking them to that person's details, provides a very safe and secure way of identifying that person and helps to combat illegal working and reduce illegal immigration to the UK.
	The identity card helps businesses:
	reduce administrative burdenmake it easier for employers, sponsors and others to check entitlementsensure those who are here illegally do not receive benefits and other privileges of living in the UK.
	For the individual it makes it easier to:
	provide proof of their right to live in the UKprove their identity safely and quickly where and whenever this is requiredget a job, as potential employers can use the card to check future employees identity and employment status quickly and easily.
	The monitoring of these benefits is ongoing and includes a range of different statistical and survey methods.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 20 April (WA 348), how many of the 3,829 persons refused entry at the United Kingdom border on grounds relating to the public good were from member states of the European Union.

Lord West of Spithead: From 2006 to 2008, 1,026 EU citizens were refused entry to the UK on the grounds of public health, public safety or public policy.
	A breakdown of each year's figures is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Year Total EU Non EU 
			 2004 977   
			 2005 645   
			 2006 626 178 448 
			 2007 828 423 405 
			 2008 753 425 328 
			 Total 3829 1026 2803 
		
	
	Prior to the introduction of the EEA Regulations in 2006, refusals of EU and non-EU nationals, on the grounds of public health, public safety or public policy, were recorded under the same code.
	The data provided are based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 April (WA 37), how many of the 3,530 people granted indefinite leave to remain under immigration rule 276B(i)(b) were in receipt of public funds; what was the total cost to the public purse of hearing their cases; whether any are currently in receipt of public funds; and what were their countries of origin.

Lord West of Spithead: Information on the number of people granted indefinite leave to remain under immigration rule 276B(i)(b) who were in receipt of public funds, either at the time of their application or currently, is not centrally recorded. The country of origin of all those granted indefinite leave to remain is given in the attached table.
	
		
			 Nationalities of Applicants Granted Leave to Remain under Immigration Rule 276B 
			 Nationality Granted 
			 Albania  
			 Algeria 105 
			 Angola 10 
			 Antigua & Barbuda  
			 Australia 25 
			 Bangladesh 85 
			 Barbados 20 
			 Belarus  
			 Belize 5 
			 Bolivia  
			 Bosnia & Herzegovina  
			 Brazil 20 
			 Bulgaria 5 
			 Cameroon 10 
			 Canada 35 
			 Chile 5 
			 China 80 
			 Colombia 35 
			 Congo 15 
			 Ivory Coast 20 
			 Croatia 10 
			 Cyprus 15 
			 Dominica 10 
			 Dominican Republic  
			 Ecuador 15 
			 Egypt 15 
			 Ethiopia 10 
			 Fiji  
			 Gambia, The 35 
			 Georgia  
			 Ghana 420 
			 Grenada 10 
			 Guatemala  
			 Guinea  
			 Guyana 20 
			 Hungary  
			 India 205 
			 Indonesia  
			 Iran 30 
			 Israel 5 
			 Italy  
			 Jamaica 215 
			 Japan 5 
			 Jordan 5 
			 Kenya 55 
			 Lebanon 10 
			 Liberia  
			 Libya 5 
			 Macedonia 5 
			 Malawi 5 
			 Malaysia 70 
			 Malta 5 
			 Mauritius 65 
			 Mexico 5 
			 Montenegro  
			 Morocco 50 
			 Burma 5 
			 Nepal 10 
			 Netherlands  
			 New Zealand 10 
			 Niger  
			 Nigeria 670 
			 Pakistan 210 
			 Occupied Palestinian Territories  
			 Peru 5 
			 Philippines 45 
			 Poland 10 
			 Portugal  
			 Montenegro  
			 Romania 15 
			 Russia 10 
			 Rwanda  
			 Saudi Arabia  
			 Senegal  
			 Serbia & Montenegro 15 
			 Seychelles  
			 Sierra Leone 130 
			 Singapore 5 
			 Somalia 5 
			 South Africa 15 
			 Korea (South) 5 
			 Spain  
			 Sri Lanka 105 
			 St Kitts & Nevis 5 
			 St. Lucia 25 
			 St Vincent 15 
			 Sudan 5 
			 Taiwan 5 
			 Thailand 20 
			 Togo  
			 Trinidad & Tobago 25 
			 Tunisia 5 
			 Turkey 45 
			 Uganda 55 
			 Ukraine  
			 United Arab Emirates  
			 Tanzania 25 
			 America 95 
			 Venezuela  
			 Vietnam 5 
			 Yemen 5 
			 Yugoslavia  
			 Zambia 55 
			 Zimbabwe 80 
			 Total 3,555 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to nearest five.
	"" Indicates one or two.
	"-" Indicates Nil.
	Because of rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 29 April (WA 37), what is the current immigration status of the 15,965 people not granted indefinite leave to remain under immigration rule 276B(i)(b); how many have lodged an appeal; how many have been successfully removed; and how many are still resident in the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government following the announcement by the Home Secretary on 5 May that 22 people were banned from coming to the United Kingdom between 28 October 2008 and 31 March 2009, when each individual applied to visit the United Kingdom; why each individual was barred from entering the United Kingdom; and what legislation was used in each case to prevent those individuals entering the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: An individual does not have to have applied to come to the UK in order to be considered for exclusion. Any person whose presence in the UK is not considered conducive to the public good may be excluded. The 22 individuals excluded by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary between 28 October 2008 and 31 March 2009 were all considered to be engaging in activities set out in the List of Unacceptable Behaviours, published by former Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, in August 2005.
	The Home Secretary may personally decide that an individual should be excluded from the UK because she considers that their exclusion is justified. This personal power is normally exercised on the grounds of national security, unacceptable behaviours, public order or relations with a third country, but this is a matter of policy not statute. The power is in fact broad and can be used in any circumstances, provided it is exercised reasonably, proportionately and consistently. An individual excluded by the Home Secretary must be refused entry to the UK, in accordance with paragraph 320(6) of the immigration rules.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the numbers of European Union or European Economic Area citizens who will be banned from entering the United Kingdom under the policy announced by the Home Secretary on 5 May.

Lord West of Spithead: As announced by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary on 5 May, amendments to the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 which are expected to take effect from 1 June will enable her to make a personal decision to exclude a European Economic Area (EEA) national whom she considers presents a threat to public policy or public security.
	We cannot provide a forecast of the numbers of people who might be excluded under the amended regulations. However, where it is in the public interest, the names of EEA nationals who are excluded on public policy or public security grounds as a result of their involvement in unacceptable behaviours will be disclosed on a quarterly basis, together with the names of non-EEA nationals excluded on unacceptable behaviour grounds.

Immigration

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government which European Union or European Economic Area citizens they intend to ban from entering the United Kingdom under the policy announced by the Home Secretary on 5 May.

Lord West of Spithead: Following an amendment to the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, which is expected to come into effect on 1 June 2009, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary will consider whether to exclude certain European Economic Area nationals who are considered a threat to public policy or public security. However, it is our policy not to discuss individual cases before a decision has been made.

Immigration

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take following the High Court judgment of 6 April in HSMP Forum (UK) Limited v the Secretary of State for the Home Department concerning the retrospective application of changes to the immigration rules for highly skilled migrants.

Lord West of Spithead: The court has given the UK Border Agency until May 2009 to implement the judgment handed down on 6 April 2009.
	A policy will be published on the UK Border Agency website. This will give full details of how we will treat those affected by the judgment.

Immigration

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they issue on age determination in connection with immigration control; and whether they will await the findings of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which announced on 24 February that it had been asked to review the evidence and was considering how it would undertake this work, before issuing amended guidance.

Lord West of Spithead: The United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) has issued detailed guidance to outline the policy and processes that asylum case owners apply when dealing with cases where the age of the person is in doubt. Consideration is being given to updating that guidance in light of recent developments, for example judicial proceedings in respect of age determination procedures. We will also take into account any revised advice on age determination issued by the Royal College.

Immigration: Deportation

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many memoranda of understanding to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals on grounds of national security and unacceptable behaviour are in place; with which countries; and in what years they were put in place.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many memoranda of understanding to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals on grounds of national security and unacceptable behaviour are being negotiated; and with which countries.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deportation actions on grounds of (a) national security, and (b) unacceptable behaviour, to countries with which the United Kingdom has a memorandum of understanding have been successful since September 2001; and how many have been unsuccessful.

Lord West of Spithead: Memoranda of understanding on deportation with assurances have been signed with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon (all in 2005) and with Ethiopia (in 2008). Separate arrangements, set out in an exchange of letters in July 2006, apply in respect of Algeria.
	The Government are pursuing agreements regarding deportation with assurances with a number of countries. However, as I explained in my previous reply (22 July 2008, WA 243), identification of the parties would prejudice these negotiations. Copies of any further agreements concluded will be placed in the Library in due course.
	No one has been deported to Jordan, Libya, Lebanon or Ethiopia on grounds of national security during the period for which information is sought. Over the same period, eight men have been deported to Algeria on national security grounds.
	There are 14 cases where a proposed deportation to one of these five countries on national security grounds has been discontinued.
	Twelve cases are at various stages in the appeal process, including one where the person concerned has applied to the European Court of Human Rights.
	To date, we have not sought to deport anyone to any of these five countries on grounds of unacceptable behaviour.

Immigration: Deportation

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions in the past 12 months people due to be removed from the country have been taken under escort to the airport of departure and their removal plan has then been cancelled because airline tickets have not been purchased.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government which agency is responsible for purchasing the airline tickets for persons due to be removed from the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: In the past 12 months (1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009), the removal directions for 19 people have been cancelled after the individual had been taken under escort to the port of departure because of problems relating to the purchase of airline tickets.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Income

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 11 May (WA 155), in the light of the recently published annual households below average income data, what is their assessment of the trend in the gap between rich and poor people in the United Kingdom over the past decade.

Lord Myners: On the latest data, the Gini coefficient—a measure of income inequality—is at a high level. However, since 1997-98, changes have been small compared with the sharp increases in inequality in the 1980s, when the Gini coefficient rose by almost 10 points.
	Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that tax and benefit reforms since 1997 have clearly been progressive.
	Household survey data show that living standards for the poorest 20 per cent of households have risen by over 1.5 per cent a year in real terms since 1997-98, keeping pace with incomes of richest 20 per cent of households.
	This contrasts sharply with the period during the 1980s to the mid 1990s when the living standards of the poorest 20 per cent of households rose by less than 1 per cent a year compared with 2.4 per cent for the richest 20 per cent of households.

Iraq: Camp Ashraf

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 20 April (WA 349—50), whether they have assessed the recent Amnesty International report drawing attention to an interview by the Iraqi National Security Advisor, Dr Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, where he stated the intention to make "intolerable" the conditions of 3,000 People's Mujaheddin Organisation of Iran supporters in Camp Ashraf; and what is their reaction to it.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are aware of the Amnesty International report of 20 April 2009 and the interview with the Iraqi National Security Adviser. We are continuing to urge the Government of Iraq to observe fully the human rights of the residents of Camp Ashraf and to find a humanitarian solution.

Iraq: NAPS Tablets

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 5 May (WA 103—4), on how many occasions countermeasures against chemical weapons were deemed necessary; and how many times operational commanders instructed troops to start and stop taking NAPS tablets between January and March 2003.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 5 May (WA 103—4), what method was used for the disposal of unused NAPS tablets once the threat that would necessitate their use had ended; and how they were accounted for.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 5 May (WA 103—4), whether there was any difference between the formulation of NAPS tablets issued to members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in 1990—91 and 2003 and those issued to members of the United States forces.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Orders were issued on 17 March 2003 authorising the taking of nerve agent pre-treatment sets (NAPS) by UK personnel in those areas where the NBC threat level was assessed medium or high. Subsequent orders dated 14 April 2003 instructed that their use should cease. Between these dates, operational commanders would have instructed troops to start and stop taking NAPS in accordance with the threat level in their particular area.
	NAPS are a standard pharmaceutical preparation with no specific clinical disposal requirement. Once no longer required, disposal of unused tablets already issued to personnel would be the responsibility of the individual. Any that were returned to medical facilities would have been sent for incineration, in accordance with normal clinical waste procedures.
	The active pharmaceutical ingredient, 30 mg pyridostigamine bromide, is the same in both the NAPS tablets issued to members of the UK Armed Forces in 1990-91 and 2003, and the soman nerve agent pre-treatment pyridostigmine (SNAPP) tablets issued by the US Department of Defense.

Israel

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the statement made to the United States media by the Hamas leader, Khaled Meshael, that Hamas accepts the two-state solution, and full negotiations with Israel.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are aware of the New York Times interview with Khalid Mish'al. We welcome Khalid Mish'al's professed commitment to being "part of the solution". However, we remain concerned about Hamas's refusal explicitly to renounce violence, recognise Israel, and indicate its adherence to previous agreements. Hamas must do this in order for the UK to be in a position to engage with it.

Israel and Palestine: David Foundation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Ir David Foundation is operating in Jerusalem in ways contrary to international agreements; and what assessment they have made of whether its activities may prejudice future negotiations for two states in Israel and Palestine.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We understand Ir David is a sub-group of the El-Aad foundation which specialises in encouraging Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem.
	Settlement expansion is illegal and clearly presents an obstruction to the peace process. The UK condemns such activity. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to freeze all settlement activity as set out in the road map agreement.
	My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his statement to the UN Security Council on 11 May 2009.

Justice: Sharia Law

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether government officials or members of the judiciary have been involved in discussions with (a) working groups, (b) committees, or (c) expert advisory groups, to assess the applicability of Sharia law, or the rulings of Sharia councils or tribunals, in the laws of the United Kingdom.

Lord Bach: I refer the noble Baroness to the Answer I gave her on 21 April 2009 (Official Report, col. WA390). In July 2008 Oxford University's Family Law and Policy Unit held a seminar under Chatham House rules, at which leading Muslim academics and practitioners gave their views on Sharia law in family cases and Sharia councils. The ministry encouraged the university to convene this conference and members of ministry staff attended it. In October 2008, Dr Syed Aziz Pasha, Secretary General of the Union of Muslim Organisations of the UK and Ireland met my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Jack Straw). The judiciary is independent from the Government and therefore we are not able to comment on any discussions that the judiciary has held independently.

Marine Conservation

The Duke of Montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect the European Union Commission to propose marine conservation zones similar to those proposed in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We do not expect the European Union Commission to propose marine conservation zones.
	However, there are a number of Community instruments that require the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs).
	Under the EC Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora), and the EC Wild Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds), member states are obliged to designate special areas of conservation (SACs) and special protection areas (SPAs). Currently, we have 81 SACs and 73 SPAs with marine components in the UK.
	The EC Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Council Directive 2008/56/EC) requires member states to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in their waters as a means of achieving good environmental status. The Government consider that marine conservation zones, as proposed in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, combined with marine SACs and SPAs, will provide the UK with valuable tools to help meet this requirement.

NHS: Nurses

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a shortage of practice nurses in the National Health Service in London; and, if so, what that shortage is.

Lord Darzi of Denham: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to determine the staff levels required to ensure that the health services they commission meet the needs of the communities they serve.
	The following table shows the number of practice nurses in each of the London PCT areas as at 30 September 2008, which is the latest data available to the department.
	
		
			 Practice nurse headcount and full time equivalents by each PCT in London Strategic Health Authority (SHA), as at 30 September 2008 
			  Practice Nurse Headcount Practice Nurse Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) 
			 England 22,048 13,962 
			 London SHA 2,997 1,876 
			 Havering PCT 95 56 
			 Kingston PCT 65 41 
			 Bromley PCT 143 68 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 96 82 
			 Barnet PCT 127 62 
			 Hillingdon PCT 97 52 
			 Enfield PCT 93 51 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT (2) 83 45 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 78 64 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT (2) 82 71 
			 Newham PCT 98 62 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 91 53 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 47 39 
			 Ealing PCT 133 77 
			 Hounslow PCT 65 57 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 95 54 
			 Harrow PCT 90 48 
			 Camden PCT 73 32 
			 Islington PCT (2) 61 41 
			 Croydon PCT 149 83 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 57 46 
			 Westminster PCT 76 68 
			 Lambeth PCT 141 98 
			 Southwark PCT 102 76 
			 Lewisham PCT 111 64 
			 Wandsworth PCT 164 75 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 85 54 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 138 97 
			 Redbridge PCT 78 44 
			 Waltham Forest PCT (2) 84 48 
			 Bexley Care Trust(1) 100 72 
		
	
	Source:
	The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	Notes:
	(1) 2006 data have been used as an estimate for these PCTs
	(2) 2007 data have been used as an estimate for these PCTs
	Data Quality:
	Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.

NHS: Pharmaceutical Services

Earl Howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 30 April (WA 70), whether they are consulting patient representatives on the proposals to introduce generic substitution by pharmacists of branded medicines prescribed under the National Health Service.

Lord Darzi of Denham: This is a complex issue with many interested stakeholders, including patients and their representative groups. Whilst we have not yet met with any such groups, we want to make sure we engage with all stakeholders in the best way possible and are currently considering how best to do so.

NHS: Pharmaceutical Services

Earl Howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing legislation to abolish the strict criminal liability of pharmacists who make an error when dispensing a medicine; and what representations they have received on the subject.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government have received a number of representations from interested parties on this subject in response to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's recent call for views as part of its project to develop a medicines legislative framework which is comprehensive, comprehensible and fit for current purpose.

NHS: Private Patients

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask private sector users of NHS services to pay more for NHS equipment and technology in the future.

Lord Darzi of Denham: It is for National Health Service trusts and NHS foundation trusts to decide on appropriate charges for use by the private sector of NHS equipment and technology, within the regulatory frameworks in which trusts and foundation trusts operate.

North Korea: Illegal Entry

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made about the two American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who will stand trial in North Korea on 4 June, following their arrest at the Tumen River.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government are concerned about the continued detention of Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials raised the case with the North Korean ambassador on 23 April. Our ambassador in Pyongyang also raised it on 30 April 2009 in a meeting with the deputy director for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We remain in close consultation with the US State Department and other partners on how we can best support their efforts.

Northern Ireland Act

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Criminal Justice Inspectorate Northern Ireland's team investigating the impact of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland took account of whether prisoners were convicted of paramilitary-type offences.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Criminal Justice Inspectorate Northern Ireland team investigating the impact of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland conducted interviews in seven prisons in the Republic of Ireland; and what were the findings.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: These are operational matters for Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, which operates independently of Government. I would encourage the noble Lord to write to the chief inspector, Dr Michael Maguire.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received a business plan for 2009—10 for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's 2009-10 draft business plan has been submitted to the sponsor division in the Northern Ireland Office for consideration.
	Once the 2009-10 business plan is finalised, a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be their reaction to any request by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for extra funding identified in the August and November monitoring rounds of last year.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As stated in my Answer of 11 May, Official Report (col. WA164), documentation relating to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's August and November monitoring returns last year, including the Northern Ireland Office's responses to requests for funding, has already been placed in the Library of this House. In summary, the commission was granted an additional £92,000 during the year.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have evaluated the work of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since 1999; if not, why; if so, what conclusion they reached about its value for money.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was established by Section 68 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and its statutory functions are set out in Section 69 of that Act. It carries out these functions independently of government. However, as set out in Schedule 7(5) to the Northern Ireland Act, the Commission makes a report to the Secretary of State on the performance of its functions during the year. Copies of this annual report are placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in relation to the seeking and provision of funding of Commission activities by third parties.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Paragraph 25 of the Financial Memorandum agreed between the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission states:
	"The Commission may receive grants from other sources, with the Department's approval, to fund additional work consistent with its statutory function, which would not otherwise have been funded from grant-in-aid. This negative DEL income must be used only for discrete projects approved by the Department".

Olympic Games 2012

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the latest cost of the 2012 London Olympic Games; and what was the proposed cost in the United Kingdom's original successful bid.

Lord Davies of Oldham: I refer the noble Lord to the first annual report on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, published on 22 January 2008. This provides details of the development of the funding package for the Games from bid time to the announcement of the £9.325 billion funding package in March 2007.
	As confirmed in the recent quarterly economic report on the Games (13 May 2009)—the £9.325 billion funding package for the Games remains unchanged. Both documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Pakistan: Deportation

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government in the light of the Government of Pakistan's prediction of there being potentially 800,000 displaced persons resulting from anti-Taliban operations, what assessment they have made of the appropriateness of deporting Christian Asif and Iqbal families seeking to escape the Taliban.

Lord West of Spithead: The Minister for Borders and Immigration wrote to the noble Lord with regard to these families on 10 February 2009. All asylum and human rights applications, including those from Pakistani nationals, continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the ECHR against the background of the latest available country information. UK Border Agency will continue to carefully consider any further submissions from those, including Pakistani Christians in fear of the Taliban, whose asylum or human rights application has initially been unsuccessful.

Pakistan: Deportation

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the statement by the Minister for Borders and Immigration, Phil Woolas, that court decisions on deportation are not necessarily final and binding, they will re-examine the cases of Pakistani Christians currently seeking to escape the Taliban.

Lord West of Spithead: In accordance with international obligations, protection is granted to those people who demonstrate a need for it. The UK Border Agency will continue to carefully consider on an individual case-by-case basis against the same protection criteria all further submissions from those, including Pakistani Christians in fear of the Taliban, whose asylum or human rights application has initially been unsuccessful.

Parole

Baroness Howells of St Davids: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of Sean Hodgson's successful appeal against conviction after 27 years in jail, the Parole Board will review its guidelines for dealing with parole applications by prisoners who maintain their innocence.

Lord Bach: The Parole Board must by law accept that a prisoner convicted in a court of law has been found guilty. We currently have no plans to review Parole Board guidance for dealing with prisoners who maintain their innocence. Denial of the offence does make the board's job more difficult, as some courses in prison involve prisoners talking about their offence and this cannot happen when a prisoner maintains their innocence. The board therefore has to look at other evidence that shows the prisoner's attitude and behaviour are such that they are safe to be released.

Passports

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the unit cost of producing a passport.

Lord West of Spithead: The average unit cost for producing a passport in 2008-09 was £57, subject to audit. This figure excludes an average £12 Consular Service fee charged on each passport by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which when added gives a total average unit cost of £69.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were represented at the recent conference in London for the chairmen of parliamentary committees in Europe concerned with human trafficking; and whether they will work to ensure that best practice is shared throughout Europe.

Lord West of Spithead: The conference organised by the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee to launch that Committee's report in to human trafficking was addressed by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and was attended by officials from the Home Office.
	It has always been the stated intention of the Government to ensure that best practice on combating this horrendous crime should be shared with our international partners. In respect of this we have an excellent relationship with other European countries and international agencies dealing with law enforcement.

Pirates: Kenya

Lord Astor of Hever: To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms are in place for the transport of pirates to other countries for detention.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The UK has an arrangement with the Kenyan Government which allows the transfer of suspected pirates to Kenya for investigation and, if appropriate, prosecution.
	When we consider there to be sufficient evidence on which to prosecute suspected pirates whom we encounter on the high seas, they will transported by sea to Kenya.

Prisons: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government who were the members of the team that the Northern Ireland Prison Service appointed to review its equity monitoring procedures.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The members of the team are set out on page 12 of the Northern Ireland Prison Service report The Inside View published on 12 May.
	A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

Railways: Accidents

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rail accidents there have been along the west coast main line in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008.

Lord Adonis: Data on rail accidents are not recorded on a route basis. However, on the west coast main line, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has investigated the fatal derailment at Grayrigg on 23 February 2007, and the dislodgement of containers from two freight trains on 1 March 2008.
	A fatal accident occurred at Rugby on 12 July 2008 and has been investigated by the Office of Rail Regulation, as it occurred during an engineering possession, rather than on the operational railway.

Railways: Level Crossings

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 18 May (WA 272), whether they have received representations from Network Rail about improving safety at railway level crossings since the passage of the Road Safety Act 2006.

Lord Adonis: The Department for Transport does not keep a log of the representations it receives from individual organisations on specific issues outside of formal consultation exercises.
	However, Network Rail is regularly involved in discussions surrounding the safety of level crossings generally and can initiate improvements to level crossing orders under the Level Crossing Act 1983. Such orders, which are necessary when level crossings are installed or upgraded, are assessed against a number of criteria including the safety of all users.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent passenger focus survey about railway passenger rolling stock, which found the Pendolino trains to be the least satisfactory.

Lord Adonis: Passenger Focus' survey was commissioned specifically to gauge passenger views of existing inter-city rolling stock and to see what lessons could be learnt from them in designing the next generation of long distance trains. We are working closely with Passenger Focus to ensure that the results of the survey are taken fully into account as part of the development process for the new Inter City Express (Super Express) train.

Roads: Byways Open to All Traffic

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 11 May (WA 173), what action they will take to compel highway authorities to make traffic regulation orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to ban mechanically propelled vehicles from badly damaged byways open to all traffic, or to make pre-emptive orders on byways which are vulnerable to damage by such vehicles.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The management of all public rights of way is the responsibility of local highway authorities. It is for them to decide whether it is appropriate to introduce traffic control measures, such as a traffic regulation order on a byway open to all traffic, based on local needs and priorities and the circumstances of each case.

Schools: Volunteers

Baroness Walmsley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support exists for primary school children struggling with reading who are not eligible for intensive one-to-one support by a trained teacher.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Ensuring children are able to read fluently and confidently by the time they leave primary school is a key element of our strategy to raise standards in primary schools.
	In response to the recommendations of the Rose Early Reading Review, we changed the national curriculum to ensure that all children learn to read through the use of systematic phonics. We have also developed the Communication, Language and Literacy Development programme. This programme provides every local authority with a specialist consultant to improve the teaching of reading in schools.
	For those children who struggle with reading, we are rolling out the Every Child a Reader programme which delivers a suite of early literacy interventions to support these pupils. The ECAR approach is based on three waves of intervention with those children most in need receiving intensive one-to-one support (using the Reading Recovery programme) whilst other children, with less severe literacy learning difficulties, receive small group support. By 2010-11, 30,000 children a year with severe literacy difficulties will benefit from Every Child a Reader.
	The primary framework, developed by the National Strategies, is available online for all schools. This offers a broad range of optional guidance and resources to support teachers in ensuring that their teaching is personalised to the needs of every child. Local authorities and schools receive training from the National Strategies in the effective use of the framework and its supporting materials.
	We have also developed the What Works Well website, a growing database of case studies, provided by teachers, that shares real practice which has improved learning and teaching.

Shipping: Navigational Aids

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have not responded to the European Parliament's Petitions Committee following the evidence session in December 2007 on the funding arrangements of Irish navigational aids.

Lord Adonis: We did not respond to the Petitions Committee on the evidence presented to them on the funding arrangements for Irish Lights because we were not invited by the committee to comment on this issue at that time.

Sport: Swimming Co-ordinators

Viscount Craigavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport approved the job description for the county swimming co-ordinators before it was advertised.

Lord Carter of Barnes: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport approved a proposal for the role of county swimming co-ordinators to be created. As part of the business case from the Amateur Swimming Association, a job description was included. This approval was given on 8 December 2008.

Sport: Swimming Co-ordinators

Viscount Craigavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which (a) written publications, (b) websites, and (c) other sources, the new role of county swimming co-ordinators was advertised.

Lord Carter of Barnes: Initially, the county and senior swimming co-ordinator posts were advertised in/on:
	British Swimming website;UK Sport website;EFDS website;Sporting Equals website;Sport England website;Sport City website;Leisure Opportunities—website and publication; andSenior advertised in the Guardian.
	There were also second round of advertisements in/on:
	British Swimming website;UK Sport website;EFDS website;Sporting Equals website;Sport England website;Sport City website; andJobs With Balls website.

Sport: Swimming Co-ordinators

Viscount Craigavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are funding any (a) administrative, or (b) management, fees for the employer of county swimming co-ordinators.

Lord Carter of Barnes: The employer of county co-ordinator does not receive any administrative or management fees for the employment of the county swimming co-ordinators.

Sunbeds

Earl Howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing legislation to prevent persons under the age of 18 from gaining access to coin-operated sun-beds.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health benefits of sun-beds relative to the health risks.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government advise against the cosmetic use of sunbeds, including coin-operated sunbeds, particularly by minors. The Cancer Reform Strategy commits the Government to reviewing the options for possible regulation of the sunbed industry, but no final decisions have yet been taken.
	The assessment of any perceived health benefits of cosmetic sunbed exposure, relative to health risks, is a matter about which individuals make their own choices. To help ensure that these choices are informed, the United Kingdom health departments fund the annual Sunsmart campaign which is the national skin cancer prevention campaign. It provides evidence-based information about skin cancer and in 2009 will raise awareness of the dangers of sunbeds. In addition the Department of Health in England has worked with the Health and Safety Executive which has recently issued revised guidance for sunbed operators and users. Some time ago the UK health departments also asked the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation and the Environment (COMARE) to set up a sub-committee on sunbeds. It is expected to report shortly.

Taxation: Private Residence Relief

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure, by amending the Finance Bill or in another way, that no taxpayer is entitled to claim the private residence relief (main house) exemption from capital gains tax on any property on which exemption from council tax or a second home discount is in force on the date of disposal.

Lord Myners: Tax policy changes are considered through the Budget process in the usual way. The Government consider a range of factors when formulating tax policy and keep all aspects of the tax system under review.

Taxation: Private Residence Relief

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are employed on a full-time basis to investigate tax fraud associated with claiming private residence relief (main house) exemption from capital gains tax; in how many cases in the past three years for which information is available have claims for private residence relief (main house) exemption from capital gains tax been (a) turned down, and (b) accepted; and what checks are in place to ensure that private residence relief (main home) exemption from capital gains tax is only granted on qualifying property.

Lord Myners: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) compliance staff work across a number of taxes. The full-time equivalent of the time spent by compliance staff on private residence relief as part of their wider work could only be established at disproportionate cost.
	Private residence relief is an automatic entitlement where the conditions are satisfied; no claim is necessary. Taxpayers are required to tell HMRC about chargeable gains if private residence relief is only due in respect of part of the gain. All such cases would be risk assessed against information held by HMRC and inquiries made where it appears that material amounts of tax are at risk.
	HMRC also carries out a large number of checks into property disposals where the disposal has not been notified to HMRC but available information indicates that the taxpayer never resided in the property. In a substantial proportion of these cases the issue is whether private residence relief is due.

Terrorism: Channel Project

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been referred to the police's Channel project; and, of those, (a) how old the youngest and oldest people were at the time of their referral; and (b) what proportion were male.

Lord West of Spithead: Between April 2007 and December 2008, 228 referrals were made to the Channel project.
	(a) Between April 2007 and December 2008 the known age range of those referred to Channel as potentially vulnerable to violent extremism and in need of multi-agency support was seven to 50 years. The majority of referrals were aged between 15 and 24 years.
	(b) Of those referred to Channel as potentially vulnerable to violent extremism and in need of multi-agency support, 93 per cent were male.

Terrorism: Internet

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 21 April (WA 395), how many terrorism prosecutions, including internet-related terrorism prosecutions, have been brought since 2001; and how many of these have been successful.

Lord West of Spithead: As set out in my previous Answer, data collected on terrorism prosecutions do not differentiate between online and offline actions and we are unable to accurately separate all internet-related terrorism prosecutions from other terrorism prosecutions, in which the internet may have played a part.
	From 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008, 521 terrorism arrests resulted in a charge. Of this 340 were considered terrorism-related. To 31 March 2008, there were 196 convictions for terrorist-related offences, of which 102 were convicted under terrorism legislation and 94 under non-terrorism legislation.

Transport: Vehicle Testing

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 28 April (WA 34), what assessment they have made of whether an increase in the proportion of vehicles tested at Holyhead and Liverpool would result in a proportionate increase in prohibition notices for mechanical defects, drivers' hours irregularities or overloading.

Lord Adonis: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) monitors prohibition rates carefully both nationally and at individual sites. VOSA's strategy of targeting has led to a steady increase in national prohibition rates since 2003, with a small reduction in 2008-09. Figures for individual sites are more variable. The figures for Liverpool and Holyhead have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The figures vary year on year, but generally reflect the upward national trend. VOSA's planning is based on a 5 per cent increase in prohibition rates for the current year to reflect continuing improvements in targeting. However, increases in checks at any site could lead to higher deterrence which could cause prohibition rates to decline.

Unite Nations: Olympics

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the request of the Italian Mission to the United Nations that the International Olympic Committee be invited as an observer to the 63rd General Assembly.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We welcome the International Olympic Committee's contribution to the work of the UN and would support its application for observer status at the UN General Assembly.

War Crimes

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions have been brought under the Genocide Act 1969, the War Crimes Act 1991 and the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Lord Bach: Information collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the court proceedings database does not separately identify offences under the International Criminal Court (ICC) Act 2001 and the War Crimes Act 1991. Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are recorded as murder or ancillary offences. Other offences against the administration of justice in relation to the ICC may be dealt with as the corresponding domestic offence.
	The Genocide Act 1969 was repealed by the International Criminal Court Act 2001 on 31 August 2001.

Zimbabwe

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent reports they have received concerning human rights in Zimbabwe.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, including the increase in violent farm invasions, with credible reports of police being complicit. Although the approximately 70 political detainees who were in custody when the inclusive government was formed have been released, they are under strict bail conditions and there are reports of continued state harassment. We will continue to monitor the human rights situation closely and to put pressure on the Government of Zimbabwe to honour their commitments to improve respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Zimbabwe

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have given to the Government of Zimbabwe to increase the likelihood that a democratic constitution is adopted in Zimbabwe within the next two years.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We continue to support civil society organisations in Zimbabwe, including those working for an inclusive and transparent constitutional review process. We are speaking to the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and the relevant parliamentary committee about their plans, and stand ready with other donors to provide support when we see evidence of a just, inclusive and transparent constitutional review process.

Zimbabwe

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens in Zimbabwe are eligible for their resettlement programme.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We estimate there are 3,000 British people in Zimbabwe who may qualify for this scheme, according to age, although not all will want to apply for it. It is difficult to say precisely how many people will apply or how many of them will be eligible, but we estimate that the number of successful applicants is likely to be about 750, although the actual numbers taking up the scheme could ultimately be higher or lower than this.